17117. DEMOCRACY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION.

This paper provides an overview and analysis of democracy in the European Union (EU). The analysis focuses on democracy at the supranational, institutional level of the EU, rather than on the various forms of national and sub-national democracy within the Member States of the Union. The investigation begins with an overview of the historical position of democracy within the EU and an outline of the EU’s institutional framework. The EU’s ‘democratic deficit’ is then explored in detail, along with consideration of the extent to which the expansion of the European Parliament’s power has democratized the overall Union. The concluding sections consider the defenses for the existing institutional framework and the possible alternative institutional arrangements for a democratic EU. 18 pages; 41 footnotes; 19 bibliographic sources. 5,173 words.